A Wizard's Guide to Paper Marbling for Bookbinding, Crafting, and Scrapbooking

[@sheilamay758]

White streaks are usually caused by hesitation as you roll the paper onto the size. Often happens if your paper is too dry/brittle. Marmorpaperie in the UK has a great troubleshooting guide on line. You can combine a brief hesitation with a wave like motion to actually create a pattern called Spanish wave that looks like moiré fabric.

[@tangerinejukebox]

And for anyone who has a chance to take a class with Lucy at Marmor Paperie in London, she's an absolute joy to learn with :D I did the intermediate class last week and had a fantastic time!

[@chameleonedm]

@@tangerinejukebox Thank you!

[@larrytodd]

I learned that a few quick passes over the size with a blowtorch eliminate all the bubbles in your size.

[@danieljamesbinderystu2968]

For the people talking about the white streaks are caused by " hesitation "... yes it can be, BUT... There is also a technique where you actually do it on purpose, it is know as the " Spanish wave or ripple ". Iam a full time professional artist and Bookbinder and I hand marble all of my papers for my sketchbook line. And when you are laying the paper down into the bath to print... you have the 2 opposite corners pinched and you start to gently rock the paper causing it to ripple in the water. When it is done correctly, the pattern on the print will look LIKE 3D waves ripplingthrough the pattern, and it cause white streaks sometimeswhen the paint is to thin on the surface of the water. White streaks are also cause by air pockets between the paper and surface of the bath, that is the main cause for white spots near the corners and edges of the paper. People drop the corners unevenly, and way to fast and It traps air...which cause blind spots in the print. Alot of people also sway the paper while putting down the paper on the bath to create an erratic pattern. The best paper for marbled paper prints IMO, is the Mohawk super fine paper, Talas professional marbling paper and Rives BFK paper ( can be bought in 100 yard rolls too ) .. the Mohawk is shiny, very smooth and prints like a dream, and super saturated and smooth. Hope you all have a wonderful day 😁

[@berolinastrassmann]

Hi! Thanks for all the detail your answer provides. I am still looking for the best paper for me and your suggestions were intriguing. How heavy should the papers be? I can find Arches Rives BFK paper, but it comes in 300gsm (probably too heavy for marbling if I want to do bookbinding?) Would 120 GSm Or 90gsm be better? Do they need to be 100% cotton, like Rives? I am looking for papers I can use to do book covers, as I am making my own sketchbooks. Thanks in advance for your comment, if you see this and have a chance to reply.

[@Whocares1987]

@@berolinastrassmannever find an answer ?

[@berolinastrassmann]

@@Whocares1987 Hi! I found another marbled in the UK using Munken 120gsm paper. I like Munken in general. Very reliable paper. I need to get some big sheets to try.

[@TheLavanta86]

I did marbling in a very traditional way (using organic pigments, Ox gall, brush from horse tail..etc.. We Turks take pride in marbling art so we try to do it as traditional as possible :) )Streaks are all about how you take the paper from the water tank. You should take the paper with stable hand motion and power. One more recommendation, don't dry your paper by hanging. Put them on a horizontal surface. For the first time doing it, you did a great job! I must applaud your for that!

[@kathyw7451]

Great comment. So kind!

[@Whocares1987]

What do you mean by “stable hand motion and power?”

[@RoseKindred]

@@Whocares1987 I am going to assume they mean as one smooth, even pressured, pull out of the water. Slight hesitation can cause water ripples to go against the small current you create while pulling. At least, that is how I learned it with hyrdodipping.

[@joannfuhrer3114]

Finally! Someone with a marbling tutorial that makes the process easy, understandable and affordable for a beginner. Thanks!

[@marijkemenu5110]

The blue and yellow one at 32:50 reminds me of the painting Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh! So beautiful! Thanks for sharing your tips, i'll surely be trying this in the future!

[@wizardryworkshop]

Thank you! You'll love doing it, it's so satisfying!

[@Punkinshine23]

That's totally what it looked like!!

[@AnotherMADCreation]

Came here to say that very thing! This one was my favorite out of all of them, I loved the contrast between the vibrant yellow and the dark blue and black.

[@deviantoutcast]

100% my association as well. Starry Night also happens to be one of - if not _the_ - favourite paintings of mine. (Though to give an exact ranking of painting's, when it comes to favourites, are impossible in my view, so even saying it's _"the"_ favourite is really to say "It is *_the_* no. 1, without a question" without saying there's only room for one on the stand). In general van Gogh's most famous for his sunflower painting, but I find Starry Night (or De Sterrennacht) to be a much more accurate testament to his true genius as an artist. This is my view and mine alone, but I stand by it as truth: van Gogh painted the world not the way it _looks to be_ , but the way it actually _is_ - and while this holds true throughout especially the later part of his artistry, I believe de Sterrennacht to be the foremost manifestation of this skill. Closely followed by Sterrennacht boven de Rhône (Starry Night over the Rhône) painted one year earlier in 1888 in Arles. It's sad to think that two years later, in July 1890, almost exactly one year after painting de Sterrennacht, van Gogh died, presumably from a self inflicted gunshot to the chest, at the all too early age of 37. And yet, almost 1,5 century later, and despite all of the development seen in art since, his works still has the power to evoke thoughts and feelings and inspire a great sense of genuine awe in people of all ages, from all walks of life, all around the world. While I'm an atheist, and not a believer in anything supernatural, I can't help reserving a place in my mind where the hope that somehow, in some way, he knows that. And it brings him the joy he deserved, but never found, while he was still here, alive, on earth, in this world.

[@PhLo-Mix]

As others have mentioned, the streaking is typically from inconsistent speed as the paper is laid down. This is not just the inconsistent speed you initially lay it down, but also as you remove bubbles by pushing them out with the plastic paint knife. Inconsistent alum application can also cause this if one side of the paper was more saturated than the other (or your alum started separating, so it was inconsistently concentrated), or the treated sheets dried/drained unevenly as they were hanging. Another thing I've had happen... once your size gets overused and dirty, chemicals from your paint - including the ox gall - mix in and effect how the paint reacts or spreads on various parts of the surface (even if you try to remove it with the newsprint). I used to get annoyed when this kind of thing happened and considered them "errors." By now I have come to realize paper marbling is chaotic by nature, and you never know what you'll get. In this sense, everything is an "error," but if it looks interesting, who cares!? :) Many of the favorites I've done were from weird experiments like you also tried.

[@cg7199]

Merci d’avoir pris le temps de donner l’ensemble du procédé et de présenter les différents produits nécessaires ainsi d’avoir montré un certain nombres de techniques ❣️Un petit bonjour de France

[@sherrybee7227]

The name of your feather pattern is actually called Get Gel. Come and Go. It's the beginning pattern when you use tools. So many wonderful traditional patterns can be created using the tools that you have made. One suggestion. It would be easier if your tool matched the width of your tray. It might mean that you need two sizes depending on how much you want to explore marbling. Your idea for making the tools is a great idea. Another thought. I was taught to hold my paper at the opposite corners. Lay down one corner and gently, and continuously, lay down the rest of the paper. No hesitation lines will happen with a little practice. Thanks for the tutorial.

[@henryyancey1117]

can you please reiterate the laying down technique? i was having alittle trouble following😅

[@sherrybee7227]

@@henryyancey1117 Sure. You laid down your paper from the middle. That is why you had hesitation lines. It's hard to do that smoothly. I was taught to hold the right side of the paper with my right hand at the top right corner, and the left with my left hand at the bottom left corner. (I'm right handed, If you're a lefty it might be opposite) . Then before touching the paint wiggle the paper around to be sure it moves smoothly. Sometimes after we alum the paper can get dry and rigid. Once it is moving smoothly, plant for feet well, take a good breath to relax. Once you feel centered touch the left corner down and in one smooth motion move across the tray by holding the left in place and pulling slightly with the right. You will be laying the paper down at an angle. You should finish by touching the top right corner down. It takes a little practice but you will get the hang of it. Try to watch more you tube videos of people laying paper on a marbling tray. It's good to take a class if you can. Also, since you enjoyed the swirls, please know that there are wonderful traditional patterns. I suggest "Marbled Designs" by Mimi Schleicher. She gives you step by step directions for 55 different patterns. I do love your concept for making your own rakes. That can save a lot of money, plus for the different patterns you will need a number of different rakes. With your concept a person can have all the rakes they wish for just a little time and work. Thank you for that! Please keep marbling and Have Fun!!

[@henryyancey1117]

@@sherrybee7227 very helpful. thank you

[@everausten]

@@sherrybee7227 Thank you so much, I've currently got a couple dozen tabs open trying to find a compilation of pattern techniques, to no avail. So thanks so much for the rec! ✨

[@RsJaneP]

…now I’ve watched the entire video and really enjoyed it, thanks so much! I was in L.A. recently, visiting my young grandkids and we did paper marbling. It all turned out really well and we only used regular printer paper (cut in half) and smaller pans for the size. I had pre-treated the papers with alum before my trip so those were ready to use. I found that the lamda powder completely dissolved when I left it in the jug overnight but I did use distilled water as another marbler highly recommended it depending on how hard your tap water is (I assumed city water is quite hard as it likely has a lot of additives/deposits). I never needed to strain the size at all and thankfully had no clumps or bubbles. The only thing I didn’t have was the ox gall but I played with how much I diluted the paints (inexpensive acrylic craft paint) and it turns out that certain colours just work better than others which I’m assuming has to do with the pigments that were used to make them…maybe some are heavier, which causes them to sink, and or not spread well (???). I used small (2 oz) dropper bottles for each of the colours, which were easy for my grandkids (ages 5, 6, and 7) to add paint to the size without making too much mess. The only tricky part is that we made so many papers, it was challenging to find places to let them dry. The kids had so much fun making beautiful marbled papers and once they were completely dry, we cut some into shapes and collaged onto blank greeting cards for their teachers.

[@caspenbee]

Paper marbling is one of my favorite and strongest memories of my grandma. She always made the most beautiful cards with them too. I bet your grandkids will remember doing that with you as long as they live. :)

[@mayusilkartllc6738]

Next time you are in LA, bring your grandkids for a field trip to visit our marbling studio in Huntington Beach! You paint your own silk scarves and other fabrics, as well as paper, wood, and lots of other materials!

[@amywike1196]

First it was resin, then it was acrylic pour painting and now it's marbling. I need a bigger apt 😅thanks for the thorough video😎

[@XenusMama]

Try joining the SCA… the hobbies increase exponentially.

[@canadianjaneoriginal]

its out of control with all the crafting techniques here too lol. I need a warehouse if I take on wood working, bronze, marble sculpting and cement too lol.

[@Appellonia]

You perfectly water marbled starry night 🌟 by Van Gogh! 😍 it reminds me of that.

[@Pronssi]

The cardboard & toothpick tool is such a great low cost diy idea.

[@karenselway836]

Fantastic video and tutorial. Stunning results! Thankyou for sharing.❤

[@trueintellect]

Best paper marbling tutorial for people just starting out. Thanks so much!

[@scrapbagstudios]

I am creating my own collage papers at the moment and these would be cool in collages. I have done some marbling before, back in the 70s using wallpaper paste as the size. And in the early 2000s I did a visual arts course and we did some using oil paints on plain water but I can't use oil paints these days due to lung conditions. I have never done it with carageen moss although I knew that was the traditional method. Thanks for your detailed tutorial. Very lovely papers.😀

[@tednelson5277]

Very nice. It would have been nice to see a demo of rinsing the size off the paper.

[@js7934]

These look amazing, I can't wait to try making some. Your hair looks cool btw

[@mariekes5225]

I love it! Thanks for this tutorial. ❤

[@yukir.9156]

32:20 It's pretty amazing how the green one tourned out looking just alike some microscoped colored cells vues.😊👍❤

[@RakiOsrez]

I tried book binding for the first time back in December and at the time I wish I knew where to find pretty paper like this one that wasn't too expensive. I'm definitely going to try this! thank you!

[@faerdineth4239]

They look great! The experiment with the big green circle and blue on the outside reminds me of tentacles and a big seamonster a bit like cthulu :D

[@Appellonia]

YESSSS !! THANK YOU! I have been searching for a tutorial forever! SCORE! 🦾THANK YOU! ❤

[@ohkaytruth]

Damn you! Now I want to try doing this myself for my books. Great work.

[@maitemf]

Absolutely amazing, Danny!! Professor Snape would be so proud of you… mixing things you get magic on a paper🤩🤩. I love all the designs you have gotten.

[@jupiter0jupiter]

i had to lol at 5:18, everything up to that piont was like, wahtever you have in your house, you can do this it's totally diy friendly. Lambda Carrageenan powder ???? wtf hahaha, good vid tho

[@canadianjaneoriginal]

lol I can’t believe ppl use carrageenan in foods as its known as a carcinogen. They add to to most store bought icecream! Ingesting it anyway, but not sure about touching it, if also affects you. I would wear gloves just incase. I wonder if other gelling agents work? Glycerine and gelatine?

[@MackenzieUhlenhopp]

THIS IS AMAZING!!! Danny, you are the real wizard here.

[@thought-full3445]

I've been thinking about maybe trying out bookbinding because it looks like a fun hobby and I can get a cool sketchbook out of it, but I'd never thought of doing this. I might use it on the inner covers or even throw them in between some of the regular pages, just for fun. Thank you! :))

[@CaptainCaveman-h4f]

finally sum1 that takes the time to explain step by step. tyvm

[@pattyst2945]

The swirls one was my favorite! But all are very beautiful

[@10minutestilmidnight60]

This reminds me the thing with dish soap and a straw , creating bubbles lay the paper on top and then you can take print of bubbles. It’s a different pattern but very pretty also :)

[@maryseflore7028]

The one at 32:54 gives me a Van Gogh Starry Night vibe. Beautiful!

[@erynporter9951]

Thank you for showing how to get the base water for the marbling, and hiw to treat the paper to prevent run off. MUCH APPRECIATED! I watched a ton of videos on silk scarf prints, and marbling paper but no one explained how to prevent the paint from dripping right off so Thank you again! There are some really cool techniques you can watch how to make the patterns.

[@Kimon-zr5xx]

As a marbling newbie who made alot of frustrating mistakes thank you for a full step by step tutorial!

[@vickidip]

Awesome man, you did great. My first tries on anything end up with me painted, stuff everywhere except for the paper. Yep I’m up to try it for sure

[@beacterie75]

I m doing mrbelling since almost 10 years and love it...with bubble and strips!

[@totallysxmmyyt6787]

New subscriber: I am so grateful that you posted this do-it-yourself rake. I am introducing marbling to my fundamentals of art students in Owning Mills, MD this is a first time for the high school students, and my funds were drying up this saved me a lot of frustration. Thanks

[@RsJaneP]

Hi Danny, I’m so far only at the beginning of your video where you’re gluing the toothpicks into the homemade marbling rake but I have a quick tip I wanted to share before I forget: to quickly remove pesky glue strings, hit them with a blast of hot hair from a hair dryer or heat tool and they will magically disappear….like poof, they’re gone! :-)

[@sparkasaurusdonna]

I've always been interested in this. So thanks. And, love your hair.

[@sparkasaurusdonna]

Added question: You said we need to rinse the carageenan water from the printed paper and then hang to dry. How does one do the rinsing?

[@wizardryworkshop]

You can do it either in your sink with a gentle drizzle of water (if your sink is deep enough), or you can use a watering can and do it outside or in your bathtub! It doesn't take much, just a quick rinse for about 10-20 seconds.

[@sparkasaurusdonna]

@@wizardryworkshop Thanks for the info. I'm doing a book page-folding art work I saw on TikTok and wanted to put some pretty marbled pages on the inside covers. Your tutorial came at just the right moment!

[@OneKindWord]

You presented a very clear explanation of every step. BTW, if you treat glass bottles with alum, you can also marble them.

[@TiiLii0707]

How about Wood? Can you marble Wood by treating it with alum?

[@arthurtheaardvark13]

this was so mesmerizing to watch!

[@CarolinaGirlCreationZ]

The blue, orange, black one was my favorite. I LOVE complementary colors together so that one just popped to me. Nice video! First one I've seen of yours.

[@srcharls-]

Amazing! Be sure I'm going to try it!. Thanks you for sharing. Greetings from Mexico.

[@martinh5333]

This is the most accessible tutorial I’ve found for paper marbling, thank you! Can wait to try it out for a project!

[@sandrabrands3074]

Wow love these!! The bleu and yellow one is my favorite.

[@wizardryworkshop]

Thanks! I'm starting to lean toward that one too!

[@barefootbutterfly]

Funny, I think the last one is the prettiest 😊

[@brigittedazinieras7380]

L'effet plissé se produit lorsque l'on fait bouger le papier au moment de le déposer sur la peinture. Le moindre tremblement produit un effet "drapé" qui peut aussi être voulu dans ce cas il faut faire bouger légèrement le papier de haut en bas lorsqu'on le dépose dans la peinture. Ne pas commencer par le milieu du papier mais par un angle en tenant la feuille par deux coins opposés. Merci pour votre tuto bien expliqué.

[@TheGrizzlyWizard]

Really enjoyed watching this. I've always wondered how they do the marbling :)

[@debbivaughn1313]

👍👍Danny, these turned out fabulous. Thanks for showing us that this gorgeous paper can be made at home using a baking pan.

[@lokiscoffeerose663]

Love this video, and looking forward to more diverse kinds of art from you!

[@AnonymousXIII]

Liked that Van Gogh-looking one

[@BrittanysMagicTrunk]

Omg I am loving this tutorial! Very cool! Thanks for taking the time to show us how to do this, Danny!

[@janetfenwick9021]

that was really wonderful! thanks

[@aap9358]

Thank you. What a wonderful and informative video with great explanation!

[@JDBloodstone]

Those white streaks are waves. As the surface tension stretches out between the peaks and valleys the paint layer becomes thinner making the paint less vibrant. Those streaks are essentially imprints of waves.

[@marilynbook4211]

Part of the issue with the light streaks could be the way you are putting the paper down, hesitating after the center is down. Try holding the paper by opposite corners when putting it down. I don't use ox gall and it works just fine as well.

[@priyankamitra4028]

Love your videos Danny. Love from India

[@eliz1957]

THANK YOU 🙏 so very much for a FANTASTIC video 🙏🙏🙏

[@stevelapierre4776]

Just fantastic... luxurious looking paper... Love them all... You mentioned you were gonna do this and Thank you so much... Love to try this... Again Thank you for sharing and showing us how to...!!!! wow!!! On the bag of Carrageenan, it says ''Kitchen Alchemy''... what a great Wizardry Workshop must have... Also forgot to mention that the tooth pic tool is great for other projects I just had an idea for... WOW..!!! You mentioned that have to rinse the Carrageenan or size water off, if possible, how to do this... Thanks again...!

[@draconovamk3137]

White streaks are usually caused by hesitation or the paper not contacting the water quickly, I suggest using an alcohol ink instead of paint for colour that really really pops

[@RavensMinis]

Very interesting to learn about all the different patterns. I've done it once at a bookbinding workshop, but you only get one go. I'd love to see them in one of your book projects!

[@constancemuller9775]

Thank you for your wonderful and informative video on marbling paper, also for the links for supplies.

[@DonnaMull]

i'm taking a marbling class in 2 weeks, can't wait! thank you for a primer, looking forward to more of your videos

[@wizardryworkshop]

Nice! Give us some pointers when you're finished!

[@kilianlucis]

Thank you so much for this! I've only ever seen this done a larger production scale so this is great. =D

[@bobvater9323]

Really beautiful, thanks for showing how it’s done.

[@slavasavenkov9103]

Очень красивые и интересные эффекты. Первый раз такое вижу.Спасибо за подробное видео. Успехов

[@terryiggulden5182]

I want to come make marbled paper with you. I love doing this

[@22kitblu]

I had a different idea about the white streaks, that they were caused by the way dragged the paper through but lingered in some spots while you changed the direction of pull or, maybe, let the pull slow a bit. I have never marbled anything, just watched your process carefully as I did as an engineer when I analyzed processes in the auto industry. None of the expert commenters mentioned timing. Maybe my idea is off-base. But I loved the outcome. especially the feathering so I would like to try it. I'm not keen on surrendering some of my baking sheets; maybe I can find something else. Great work! I'm now a subscriber.

[@Lady_of_Ishpeming]

Omg! New addiction 😆 I will give this a try soon!

[@nicolevanosta4384]

Great tutorial. you have carefully selected what works best and explained it in a nice, calm manner. what I like is that you are also critical of your own creations. and being open to improvements from mistakes is what you learn the most. I now have every confidence that I will succeed in this process. thank you ​

[@Cj12sings]

Well done...!!! Loved the " experimental" pieces

[@triggersw3350]

Distilled water is worth using if you have it.. it helps the mix last longer befoe going off or mouldy. Tap water has dirt in it!

[@SenselessUsername]

What a random video to stumble upon... I will follow this, and like your 'last drops' experiments not try to scribe stars but a short firstname. I'm hoping it will be hard-to-make-out-yet-undeniable-once-seen, like recognising a clear shape in a cloud; for a personal bookbinding gift (inside, not cover -- again, subtle).

[@donnaspencer7276]

Thank you 😊

[@nietcherry4360]

Wow, these are amazing! Will definitely try to make some at home. The blue and yellow ones are so pretty, and so are the ones with the experimentation stars at the end. Great video! Thanks for sharing your tips

[@lisajarvis3820]

Danny ~ For your first go you did great, next time lay paper on surface holding opposite corners starting with hand you don’t write and lay going towards the corner hand you write with, remove in same manner as here but without the dragging on the edge of the dish, rinse at a horizontal, then dry vertically, try same cardboard top hot glue strip on a roll of Afro combs the length of your tray and if your tray is clear you can see your progress!

[@marywagner9927]

Thanks. Good tutorial. I had done a couple of times, but your cardboard/toothpick comb was genius. That will definitely be past of my supplies henceforth. Wish you had used more metallic paints. I think they are the icing on the cake for marbling.

[@karlannespinks6475]

Thanks for the tutorial. I do hope to try this when I can do it outside.

[@vantasiascauldron1861]

Awesome! Thank you, Danny. ♥️

[@donnaflorian554]

So cool I will be be doing this with my grandson.

[@alicedraken]

From other vids I've seen, you could also get $1 tooth brush pack for each color. Then dip and brush your finger over it. One way to not accidentally mix the colors from contact with whatever is on your skin, there are gloves just for a single finger (or cut out fingers from a single glove) and you can swap those out between colors. I've also seen cat whiskers used for making lines through colors, without moving the rest of the water in the pan. Just a suggestion for any who'd like it.

[@philnasmith9755]

Some great results - thanks for sharing. FYI - A few years ago there were a couple of videos on KZbin showing how to do marbling using shaving cream as the medium. Easy-peasy - I tried it and had great results. I used a wide-toothed comb to get the feather pattern. I like your cardboard and toothpick comb idea for greater variety.

[@wizardryworkshop]

I tried the shaving cream, too, but couldn't get it right. Also, I wanted to learn the traditional way.

[@jillyfernandez3702]

I’ve got this on a loop while I work - a mix of the calm instructions and relaxing paper sounds strangely help me concentrate - thanks Danny 😊

[@shamancarmichael5305]

Another great tutorial! I especially liked the instructions for the different patterns, that was very useful!

[@sandrareginaromaothomaz8179]

Amigo arteiro. Voce não tem noção de quanto grata estou pelo sua aula. Irei guarda-la, com muito carinho, farei essa bela arte. Gratidão

[@DividedStates]

Seeing this, I am immediately thinking about colored paper stock. like a black or a red background and using stickers to mask off areas to peel them off later and using it to print delicate patterns over it later to use as a cover for pocket notebooks.

[@jillychandler]

The marbling you did is just stunning I think. I love it, thank you for showing us how to do it so clearly. xxx

[@DLFH]

For the love of chocolate! I just realized that part of the Dwelling With Dragons book cover from the last WT crate has one of your marble prints on it where it folds over. I remember seeing and thinking it was a rather nice touch but more so now having seen how you created the design.

[@LucasSouza]

And I thought you make these digitally 😅 It's awsome!

[@Calone_Wis249]

the thing that makes the streaks the paper is maybe water streaks.31:25

[@debbienagy2674]

That was fascinating!

[@msassump]

Thank you! ❤I am study silk painting.

[@RPtidas]

Wow! I love it!

[@ljc.youtube]

gorgeous paper! I am not sure what the white film is but if you applied a coat of matte medium it will bring out the colors and perhaps even get rid of the white streaking.

[@sahafiandisheh1746]

very good thanks

[@fernandachristensengama5245]

What an amazing work! Congratulations 🎈

[@nomadartist2981]

Hey Dan! Thanks for this super helpful video on the basics!!!

[@woxter100]

Thank you for this 👐👐

[@lillianweston4267]

I loved them all. Thanks for sharing.

[@jeanhawken4482]

So interesting

[@mtgmystery777]

Wow that is some stunning work thanks for sharing